About Richard Carter

Richard Carter, FCD (right) with a very old friend.

Richard Carter FCD is a tetrapod of the order Primates, and runs the Friends of Charles Darwin website. He lives in a former farmhouse in the Yorkshire Pennines, where he fights a losing battle against the highly adapted molluscs in his garden.

During his childhood, Richard's parents, both of whom were also primates, encouraged his interest in the natural world. This led to a wider interest in science. Between seemingly endless ale binges, which helped him to develop the magnificent physique that he retains to this day, he somehow managed to scrape a Natural Sciences degree at Durham University (1982–1986). The main subjects covered during the degree were physics, the history and philosophy of science, and scientific archaeology. His career has lain in ruins ever since.

…and with some cousins.

In 1987, while eating a tuna sandwich, Richard suddenly realised that he really should learn a bit more about this evolution malarkey. So he bought himself The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. This led him (via Dawkins' not-quite-ringing endorsement) to the writings of Stephen Jay Gould, which rekindled his interest in the history of science. As he read more and more on the subject, he soon came to realise that Charlie was his Darwin. He has been boring people rigid about his hero ever since.